4 Effective Ways To Practice Gratitude During The COVID Pandemic

_{*Disclosure* Some of the links in this post might be affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link & make a purchase, I’ll receive some commission- at no extra cost to you, which helps me cover the costs for this blog.}

How many of us introspect or decide to be grateful for the things we have received? How many things in our life do we take for granted?

I certainly am guilty of taking the good stuff in my life for granted and complaining about the things I lack. I have done it for the longest time, especially when I was unaware of the power of gratitude.

Gratitude is powerful. Much more powerful than we realize. It has the power to change your mood & uplift your mind. Gratitude has the power to heal.

Gratitude doesn’t mean that we become delusional or brush away our problems. Being grateful means being aware of negativity & still choosing positivity. Gratitude means being grateful despite our problems.

To keep ourselves positive during the current COVID pandemic, practicing gratitude is essential. Whenever we feel that we are slipping into an abyss of negativity, depression, anxiety or dissatisfaction, gratitude is our anchor.

Here are 4 effective ways to practice Gratitude:

1.Gratitude Journal

This is by far the most talked about method of counting your blessings or expressing gratitude. Maintaining a gratitude journal and writing about the things you are grateful for can be of a great help.

Sit comfortably in a quiet place or close to a window to get a view of the outside world. Light some candles or turn on your favorite music. Close your eyes for a few minutes and mentally run through everything in your life that you are thankful for.

It could be your family, friends, your pet or even material items like your cozy home, your car, the latest gadget in the kitchen, the places you have visited, the cuisines you have tasted, the books that you have enjoyed… it could be a seemingly trivial thing or a big milestone in your life.

Your gratitude journal doesn’t have to look like an article from a newspaper or like a book from the printing press. You do not have to bother about the grammar, nor run any spell checks . All you need to do is write and express your gratitude for every single item that has brought joy. The journal is for your eyes only.

You can scribble just a few lines or write multiple pages. You can journal every day or once every week. It doesn’t matter how many lines you write or how often you update your journal.

Gratitude journaling can also be modified as ‘bullet journaling.’ Write down your gratitude list as bullet points. 

2. Gratitude Pot/Jar

You don’t have to run to the store to buy a fancy jar to implement this. A simple mason jar from your kitchen will work! If you like being artistic, you can paint/decorate your jar.

Below is a picture of my gratitude jar that I made a while back. It’s a simple earthen pot that I painted using acrylic colors.

_{Gratitude pot painted by me}

The idea here is to make note of the items that you are grateful for. Take a small piece of paper and jot down what made you happy on that day. Fold the paper and drop it in the pot/ jar. Keep the jar/pot in a place where it will be visible to you. If you want, you can encourage your family members to add their gratitude notes as well.. Take a moment to think what you are grateful for on that day and write it down.

It is best to do this activity at the end of the day so that you have an overview of the entire day.

It could be as simple as- Today am grateful for

• The great coffee/food I had
• The new running shoes.
• The beautiful weather.
• The “me-time” after ages.

You can try this gratitude pot/jar activity for a period of 40/90 days or for an entire year. At the end of this period you can empty your pot and read all your notes. It feels great to re-live the happy moments & remember that you have so much to be grateful for.

3. Volunteer for a cause

I think any gratitude practice is incomplete without helping someone or volunteering for a cause. While donating to charity is also good enough, volunteering for a cause like opting to help the less fortunate in your own way (other than donating money) is the best way to practice gratitude.

I have personally experienced this when I taught Dance Movement Therapy for free to senior citizens at an NGO in Singapore over a period of 6 months.

The feeling of giving back to society is amazing & unmatched. When we help those who are in need, we have a realization of all the wonderful things we have. The unfortunate help us realize how fortunate we are. Volunteering also helps us become more empathetic to other people’s troubles & needs.

During this trying time, if possible, you can volunteer to help the poor & sick people; and/or the migrant labourers in your city/country by giving them food/groceries or helping them in other ways.

The possibilites of helping others during this time are endless & the happiness you get from helping others & the gratitude you feel when you realize how much you already have, is incomparable.

4. Gratitude meditation

Gratitude Meditation is a form of mediation where we focus on gratitude for what we are thankful for. There are numerous guided gratitude meditation videos available on YouTube. If you are beginner in meditation, I suggest short (10 min or less) videos.

Gratitude meditation is an extremely powerful tool, combining the benefits of meditation & the feeling of contentment you get when you are grateful.

It is definitely a great mood booster! 🙂

……………………………………………………………………

I hope you liked these 4 methods of practicing gratitude. When we intentionally practice gratitude, it is extremely powerful.

I know it is tough to practice gratitude especially when you are having a bad day or when we are faced with diffcult times like these. That is precisely the reason to practice it even more.

When we intentionally practice gratitude during a bad day/time, we become naturally more hopeful, happier & more resilient.

Practicing gratitude is like lighting a candle in a dark room. It will keep you warm, fuzzy & happy.

Do you practice gratitude? Have you used any of the methods listed here? I would love hear more about your gratitude practices. Please share it with me in the comments section below! 🙂

5 Health Benefits Of Fasting; How Does It Help?

_{*Disclosure* Some of the links in this post might be affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link & make a purchase, I’ll receive some commission- at no extra cost to you, which helps me cover the costs for this blog.}

Hi guys, it’s May already! Time flies and we are through with 5 months of the year. Feels unreal, doesn’t it?

Anyway, I think now is a perfect time to write about fasting and it benefits. With all of us staying at home, it is quite easy to get carried away and binge-eat.

I personally have been watching my food portions during this circuit-breaker period in Singapore (lockdown/stay at home whatever you call it). Other than that, like always, I fast once a week, on Mondays. It was around 4 years back that I started fasting a day a week, on a regular basis. Initially I ate food allowed for the vrat/upwas but I didn’t feel a lot of difference. When I began fasting by limiting my food intake to minimal (usually fruits/dry fruits & lots of water), I began to see the benefits.

Fasting is a concept which has been practiced for centuries in India in the form of vrat/upwas and on special occasions. It is also practiced in other religions & cultures across the globe.

Fasting may or may not be done for religious purposes, but it can certainly be done for health reasons.

There are various types of fasting and intermittent fasting has gained a lot of traction in today’s world with a lot of people opting for it. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. There are many different types of intermittent fasting, such as the 12 hour intermittent fasting or the 16:8 or 5:2 methods.

Irrespective of the type of fasting, the benefits attached to it are innumerable.

Here are 5 benefits of fasting:

1. Fasting improves your immune system

Fasting improves the immune system because it reduces free radical damage, regulates inflammatory conditions in the body and starves off cancer cell formation.

In nature, when animals get sick they stop eating and instead focus on resting. This is a primal instinct to reduce stress on their internal system so their body can fight off infection.

Our immunity improves if there is a faster regeneration of cells, which happens when you fast.

According to one study, a three day fast can lead to the regeneration of the entire immune system and the production of totally brand new white blood cells which have a stronger ability to fight disease.

How cool is that?

2. Fasting aids weight loss & improves metabolism.

Fasting can be a great way to lose weight as many studies have shown that fasting allows the body to burn through fat cells more effectively than just regular dieting.

Fasting allows the body to use fat as it’s primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates. Many athletes use fasting as means to hitting low body fat percentages for competitions.

Fasting also gives our digestive system a rest, and this can energise our metabolism to burn calories more efficiently. If our digestion is poor, this can effect our ability to metabolise food and burn fat. Fasts can regulate our digestion and promote healthy bowel movements, thus improving our metabolic function.

3. Fasting Can Reduce Insulin Resistance, Lowering Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes has become incredibly common in recent times with unhealthy lifestyles & high amount of sugar intake in people due to improper diet and over consumption of processed food.

The main feature of Type 2 Diabetes is high blood sugar levels in the context of insulin resistance.

Anything that reduces insulin resistance should help lower blood sugar levels and protect against type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, fasting has been shown to have major benefits for insulin resistance and lead to an impressive reduction in blood sugar levels.

Thus, because fasting is extremely beneficial in reducing insulin resistance & increasing insulin sensitivity, which can be of much significance in lowering blood sugar levels, it thereby proves to be helpful in reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

4. Fasting Helps Clear The Skin And Prevent Acne

Fasting can help clear the skin because with the body temporarily freed from digestion, it’s able to focus its regenerative energies on other systems.

Not eating anything for a while has shown to help the body clean up the toxins and regulate the functioning of other organs of the body like liver, kidneys and other parts.

Since the digestive system gets detoxified and bowel function improves, the skin also benefits from it and flushes out the toxins it has accumulated thus becoming clearer and healthier.

5. Fasting Improves Your Brain Function

Fasting has shown to improve brain function because it boosts the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF.)

BDNF activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons, and triggers numerous other chemicals that promote neural health. This protein also protects your brain cells from changes associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Ageing of brain cells can slow down, thus increasing mental alertness & awareness which helps to improve brain function.

…………………………………………………………………..

These were a few health benefits of fasting. There are numerous benefits of fasting apart from the 5 listed here. Fasting is known to improve heart health, reduce risk of cancer and also helps in regulate hormones. The list of it’s benefits is very long.

It doesn’t matter what type of fasting you practice; intermittent or not, any form of fasting is beneficial.

I personally have experienced feeling mentally alert and more active when I fast. My ‘fast day’ is usually more productive and more creative than the rest. I feel quite energetic as well.

Fasting should be done carefully and it does not mean starving yourself. Also, prolonged period of fasting is counter-intuitive and can cause more harm than good.

Fasting should only be done once or twice a week with regular meal days in between.

Anyone with diagnosed medical conditions and on specific medications should avoid fasting. Fasting should also be avoided by underweight people, people with eating disorders and by pregnant or lactating women.

Fasting can also feel initially tough to those who have never done it before and any extreme form of fasting should be avoided. The body takes time to adjust itself to fasting and it is important to be gentle with your body.

Tht said, I hope you found the article useful and I hope you do give some form of fasting a try, keeping in mind your health & body capability too! 🙂

51 Self-Care Ideas To Deal With a Bad Day (2020)

_{*Disclosure* Some of the links in this post might be affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link & make a purchase, I’ll receive some commission- at no extra cost to you, which helps me cover the costs for this blog.}

Today, as the month of April comes to an end, I am sharing with all of you 51 ways of self-care and self-love that will give you a much needed boost a this time. We all have our bad days and good days and these self-care ideas are sure to help you cope whenever you are having a tough time.

2020 is proving to be quite a challenging year and the year of upheavals. So it is quite natural to have bad days and feel low during such a time.

Before I share with all of you these easy and fun ways of self love & care, I want to write something on this topic.

What is Self-Love/Self-Care?

Self- love means doing what is best for yourself. It does NOT mean being too proud or having a superiority complex. Infact, it’s the opposite.

Self-love keeps you humble because you know your own pluses and minuses and acknowledge that you are imperfect. Those who are vain do not love themselves since they seek validation from others & have not yet come to terms with their own imperfections. Those who are self-assured and love themselves, don’t really need any external validation.

The most important thing I have realized is that self love doesn’t mean having no self-accountability and making excuses for yourself. Making excuses also means you don’t love yourself enough to do what is needed. While it is very important to be kind to yourself and compassionate with yourself, it is also important to differentiate between being kind to yourself and making excuses Examples: I’m gonna skip my class/session/work/ meditation/workout today because I don’t feel like it. I’m going to buy myself those expensive shoes even though I know I should save that money, etc. Guys, this is not self- love. I learnt this after making some mistakes, but I have realized that self-love means inclusion of self-accountability as well.

Self love & self accountability go together. Self love and self care mean doing what you NEED and NOT just doing what you WANT. Self love & care mean knowing and doing what is best for yourself, even when it may seem tough to do at the moment. In order to know what is best for you, you need to start self-introspecting. You have to become your own best friend.

For me, self love means being honest with yourself, acknowledging the fact that you are not perfect and striving to improve yourself.

On that note, I am sharing with all of you 51 Simple Ways of Self-Care, to help you during a bad day at home.

Here’s the list:

1. Brew and drink a cup of your favourite beverage
2. Refresh your morning routine
3. Wake up early
4. Watch the sunrise
5. Have a healthy & satisfying breakfast
6. Write down or say a few positive affirmations.
7. Write 10 things you are grateful for
8. Take a detox bath
9. Try a new face mask
10. Breathe deeply
11. Do Yoga
12. Sleep well
13. Exercise often
14. Stretch yourself to relieve tension
15. Meditate daily
16. Order/make your favorite dessert
17. Write 5 things you love about yourself
18. Make a bucket list or vision board
19. De-clutter 10 items
20. Read a personal growth book
21. Skip watching & reading the news
22. Do something that makes you laugh
23. Do a kind deed for others/ help someone/donate to charity
24. Stop comparing yourself with others
25. Watch your favorite show
26. Have a video chat with family & friends
27. Give yourself (or get) a manicure or pedicure at home
28. Give yourself a head massage
29. Light your favorite candle
30. Listen to your favorite podcast
31. Cook your favorite meal
32. Do a digital detox
33. Watch funny YouTube Clips
34. Draw, paint, colour or doodle something
35. Take regular small interval breaks from work
36. Don’t criticise or belittle yourself
37. Dress up as if you are going outside
38. Click some pretty photos of yourself
39. Listen to your favorite music
40. Hug someone/ Tell someone you love them
41. Drink a full glass of water & stay hydrated
42. Read inspirational quotes
43. Watch a motivational Ted Talk
44. Wear your favourite perfume
45. Turn your phone off for a few hours
46. Do a Brain Dump
47. Plan your upcoming week
48. Leave some room for imperfection in your life.
49. Dance like crazy
50. Block/ unfollow people and social media accounts who bring down your self-confidence/ make you feel negative
51. Set an attainable challenge for yourself for the next day

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

So here was my list of 51 self-care ideas. Do let me know if you try any of these and feel better!

Take Care of yourself everyone and focus on loving yourself and taking care of your mental and physical health during these crazy Coronavirus Pandemic times.

See you all in my next post,

Till the,

Dream. Imagine. Be Crazy. Be You.

20 Interesting Things To Do At Home Other Than Television & Netflix (COVID-19 Pandemic)

With the world under no condition to travel, and people stuck in their homes, I think most of us are either glued to their phones, laptops or television sets.

As Singapore is on a ‘Circuit Breaker’ where residents are asked to stay at home, unless absolutely essential to go outside (groceries, health care etc), my feet are itching to go outside and wander. In fact, I am always bitten by the travel bug and not being able to just have a casual walk around the city is really bugging me and I know it is bugging you too, wherever you are! We all are waiting for things to return to normal, aren’t we?

Nevertheless, we all know by now, the importance of social distancing & staying at home. We can beat the virus by just staying at home and that is as easy as it gets, isn’t it?

Ever since I am spending time at home, I am doing by best to keep myself busy and do something productive or creative.

Keeping our minds busy and engaged at this time is the ultimate challenge, since our minds constantly lookout for something to do. Watching news and television or netflix, amazon prime and the likes is the easiest way, and I love to do that too! (Yes, I am watching Money Heist! :D), but after a point, it’s best to take a break from watching your favourite series, because doing the television & netflix thing for long periods of time can be damaging to our psyche and make us feel dull and after a point.

So here are a few things which you can do at home, other than TV & Netflix.

I am sure you must be already doing some of them; Here’s the list:

1. GROW A PLANT

Gardening is a great way to spend your time. You can grow few plants using seeds in your kitchen pantry. E.g.: flax seeds plant, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, ginger, turmeric, basil seeds, seet potato, carrot tops, capsicum seeds, chilli seeds etc.

2. READ A BOOK

Reading not only keeps you entertained, but helps in improving your memory power as well as enhances your vocabulary. In today’s times of technology, many people don’t read or are alien to the beauty of it. It doesn’t matter what genre of books you read, there are multiple benefits of reading. Like the famous quote goes- ” A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.. The man who never reads lives only one. “- R. R. Martin

3. PRACTICE YOGA & MEDITATION

As the world goes through tough times and our anxiety levels are high, practicing yoga & meditation are the ultimate ways to deal with it as well as learn something new.

I have already spoken about it in my previous article on dealing with anxiety during COVID-19 have a look.

4. LEARN ONLINE

Whether it is taking up an online course in your profession or learning a language online, now is a good time for self-growth and learning something new.

5. REASSESS YOUR FINANCE MANAGEMENT

The best time to reflect upon your earnings, savings and financial goals is now. Are you spending too much? How much money would you need to attain a certain goal for yourself or your family? Ask yourself such questions & reassess the way you manage your finance.

6. START A BLOG

I think I don’t need to explain this one! My blog is my source of happiness in current times and I am sure it will be yours too, so go ahead and start one. Identify your niche, take the leap and start blogging!

7. COOK & BAKE

I think many people are already doing this! I see so many delicious pictures on my Instagram & Facebook feed! Now is the best time to update our culinary skills & chef in style!

If you need any ideas, take a look at the food & recipes section of this blog!

8. DECLUTTER YOUR SPACE

Now cleaning and dusting isn’t really my forte & those who know me well can testify to that. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to declutter a few things in my closet & I remember how good I felt after decluttering my dressing table. 😀

Decluttering & organizing our spaces enhances the positive vibes in our home and makes us feel light & cheerful.

9. LISTEN TO MUSIC & DANCE

Now is the time to listen to all the lastest & trending songs and go back to listening to your favourite ones as well. Dancing is another way to keep yourself busy and happy and as a Dance Movement Therapist, I can say that it definitely helps you relieve your stress and pent up emotions.

So what are you waiting for?

10. DIY ACTIVITES & ART

YouTube and Pinterest have a lot of ideas related to Do-It-Yourself Activites & art related stuff. Painting, drawing, sketching, craft, etc; so many options to choose from. So go ahead & get creative.

11. TOUR FAMOUS MUSEUMS ONLINE

Sitting at home doesn’t mean you cannot visit museums. Certain museums like the British Museum, London, Guggenheim Museum, New York, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam and many others can be toured from the comfort of your couch. A simple google search will give you a list of such museums and you can enjoy viewing them & learn more about art, history & culture!

12. FACETIME WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS

I have already mentioned this in my previous post. It is vital to stay connected with the people close to us, to reduce anxiety and feelings of loneliness & depression. Now is the time to rely on the virtual world in keeping us closer.

13. START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL

I started my own YouTube Channel & took quite a big leap of faith in doing so. Ever since I have started it, I am having a lot of fun & learning quite a few things. It’s a great way to share what you know, with the world. Give it a try & you may be surprised on how much you enjoy it!

14. WRITE A STORY OR A BOOK

If you have been contemplating on writing a story or a book, now is the best time! I wrote a fiction novel in 2015 and although I didn’t have a lot of funds at that time, I managed to self-publish it (it’s extremely easy & cheap) and it was a great feeling!

So don’t wait for the ‘right time’ to start writing something you have been wanting to. The right time is ‘Now’!

15. LEARN ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET

If you wish to invest your savings, the stock markets and mutual funds are an excellent option. The main thing is sound financial knowledge of investing your funds wisely and you can utilise this period to upgrade yourself on these topics so that you are better equipped in handling your finances.

16. MAKE A BUCKET LIST

It could be crazy whimsical list and can include bizzare things to do or places to travel to. Even though the things you wish to do may not be possible right now, it could give you perspective on what things you enjoy and what makes you happy.

17. START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL

Gratitude makes you value the things which you already have. Starting a gratitude journal is the best way to pen down the things you are grateful about and that will make you happy and feel upbeat about your life.

18. UPDATE YOUR RESUME

If you are looking for a career change, you can utilise this time to update your resume and linkedin profile and stay ahead of your peers in the job hunting game. This will help you once the world starts returning to normal. (Hope it happens soon!)

19. DECLUTTER YOUR EMAIL INBOX

Clear the spam & unwanted promotional emails & focus only on what is significant for you. A clean inbox is a productive on!

20. BE A MENTOR FOR SOMEONE

You can always share what you know with others. This helps us feel good about ourselves & also helps other people. Whether it is cooking, business, marketing, life-skills or anything else, we all have talents and can share them with the world via blogs, facebook, instagram and other social media platforms. If not, simply encouraging other people in this time of crisis is a great way to be of use to someone. Mentoring someone in the smallest of the ways is extremely satisfying.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

That’s it!

These are 20 ways in which you can spend your time at home.

There is so much to do at home, we just need to explore! If you have any more ideas, feel free to share them in the comment section below!

Keep a watch for my next post!

Till then,

Dream, Imagin, Be Crazy , Be You.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates

Hi guys, it’s Day 4 of our 10 Days, 10 Posts event.

I am sharing another recipe with all of you- Chocolate Covered Dates, stuffed with Peanut Butter.

Trust me, it sounds fancy, tastes amazing and yet is extremely simple to make. Infact, it is so simple, that I debated whether to share this recipe on the blog or not, because it is hardly any work at all. I finally decided to share it because they tasted so delicious! My husband who is my biggest critic, was quite surprised when he ate these dates and said they taste like some exotic chocolate!

Also, it doesn’t require any great skill in cooking/baking and everybody can make it!

The best part about these is that the dates add natural sweetness and you don’t really need to add white sugar. The only sugar which will be present is from the chocolate you use. You can use a darker and semi-sweet chocolate. If you are vegan like me, you can use a vegan chocolate bar or vegan chocolate chips.

Thus, this is a very uncomplicated, nutritious, mouthwatering and easy to prepare snack/dessert, perfect for those post lunch afternoons or as a quick bite with your cup of tea/coffee. It caters to all your hunger pangs & cravings!

So let’s go ahead and have a look at the recipe!

Ingredients:

1. 10-12 pitted dates
2. 2-4 tsps peanut butter
3. Melted chocolate 1 cup
4. Cocoa powder 1/2 tsp (optional)
5. Coconut flakes for topping (optional)
6. Granola or chopped almonds for topping (optional)

Procedure:

1. Take the pitted dates & make sure their slit is open
2. With a spoon fill the dates with peanut butter. Make sure not to overfill, else, the chocolate will not stick to the dates.
3. Take chocolate-chips or any plain chocolate bar and melt the chocolate in a microwave bowl. You can use 1-2 chocolate bars depending on their size. I used 3-4 tbsps of chocolate chips. I didn’t really measure, I just melted enough chocolate chips to fill 1 cup / small bowl.
4. To enhance the chocolate flavour even more, you can add the cocoa powder, if you wish to. It’s a completely optional step.
5. Dip the dates in the melted chocolate. Make sure they are covered from all sides with chocolate.
6. Remove the chocolate covered dates immediately after dipping and coating & place them on another plate.
7. Sprinkle them with any toppings of your choice like chopped almonds/ granola/coconut flakes. I used dried coconut & grated it into flakes and topped them. I also added some bits of granola from my breakfast cereal.
8. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours and serve.

That’s it! You are done!

Variation: You can even replace the peanut butter and place cashews or almonds inside the dates and then cover it with chocolate.

Do give these a try and let me know!

Catch you all in the next post.

Till then,

Dream, Imagine, Be Crazy, Be You.